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CIA names Marc Petrovic chair of Glass Department

Artist with Cleveland roots has strong record of exhibiting, teaching in U.S. and abroad

Cleveland Institute of Art has appointed internationally recognized glass artist Marc Petrovic as assistant professor and chair of its Glass Department. Widely regarded as a leader in the glass art field, Petrovic has been a full-time studio artist for 23 years, the last 20 in Connecticut. His work is held in numerous private collections and in public collections including the Museum of Arts and Design, New York City; Corning Museum of Glass, Corning, New York; Niijima Museum of Glass, Tokyo; The Mint Museum, Charlotte; Racine Art Museum; Tacoma Museum of Glass, and many others.

Petrovic has served as visiting artist, taught workshops, and lectured throughout the world, including at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts, Bornholm, Denmark; Niijima Glass Festival; Toledo Museum of Glass; Rhode Island School of Design; Virginia Commonwealth University; Sheridan College of Art; The Corning Museum; Urban Glass in New York City; Massachusetts College of Art; and Smithsonian American Art Museum.

He is represented by Heller Gallery in New York City; Thomas R. Riley Gallery in Cleveland; Habatat Galleries in Royal Oak, Michigan; Imago Gallery in Palm Desert, California; Reynolds Gallery in Richmond, Virginia; Dane Gallery on Nantucket in Massachusetts; eo Art Lab in Chester, Connecticut; and Admiralty Gallery in Vero Beach, Florida.

Petrovic, who earned a BFA in Glass at CIA in 1991, begins teaching duties in the fall 2014 semester. He replaces internationally renowned glass artist Brent Kee Young, who is retiring from the CIA faculty after 41 years and who taught Petrovic and his wife, glass artist Kari Russell-Pool.

“We are delighted to welcome Marc Petrovic back to CIA and Cleveland,” said CIA President Grafton Nunes. “His exquisite work and impressive work ethic will be tremendous examples for our students. Marc has not only thrived as a working studio artist since graduation, but his professional practice has included lecturing and giving demonstrations around the world.

“Brent Kee Young leaves enormous shoes to fill, after dedicating his career to teaching generations of CIA students,” Nunes continued. “But Marc, who himself benefitted from Brent’s instruction and mentorship, brings exceptional promise to the position as a teacher, artist, and faculty member. He will continue the tradition of excellence Brent has established.”

Contacted in his Connecticut studio, Petrovic said, “I’m honored, humbled and mostly excited, Kari and I both are extremely excited, about coming back to Cleveland and taking over the program that Brent started. Brent meant a lot to me as a faculty member and he continues to mean a lot to me as a friend.”

A Cleveland native and 1985 Richmond Heights High School graduate, Petrovic says he looks forward to the homecoming. “We’re excited about the opportunity to become part of a community again of makers. We have good friends here in Connecticut, but we don’t have a group of makers that we’re affiliated with. We really couldn’t be more thrilled about this opportunity.”

Thirty-five artists, from across the United States and as far away as Japan, applied for the highly specialized position after an international search. CIA is one of only six member colleges of the Association of Independent Colleges of Art and Design to offer a bachelor’s degree program in glass.

Finalists for the Glass Department chair position visited CIA this spring for interviews. While on campus they gave lectures, presented demonstrations in CIA’s glass hot shop, and critiqued student work.

“The process allowed the committee, the faculty, staff, and students to evaluate the candidates by having them perform and speak to the central activities of education: critique, instruction, and presentation,” said Professor Matthew Hollern, who served as search committee chair.